Ending sequester would add 900,000 jobsStaffing Industry AnalystsThe Congressional Budget Office reported that eliminating the automatic budget cuts known as the sequester would add 900,000 jobs to the U.S. economy in 2014. The CBO issued the report in response to a request by Maryland Rep. Chris Van Hollen for an analysis of how a cancellation of the sequester would affect the U.S. economy.

New York State Labor Department releases preliminary June 2013 area unemployment ratesNew York State Labor DepartmentThe State Labor Department today released preliminary local area unemployment rates for June 2013, which are calculated following procedures prescribed by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The state's unemployment rate relies in part on the results of a telephone survey of 3,100 households (out of more than 7 million) in New York State.

Recruit and retain top talent with these key questionsThe Staffing StreamIt is often a concern in the human resource community that employees be satisfied with their work. Those who are happy in their jobs are more productive and more likely to stay, not to mention more pleasant to work with. There are ways to increase satisfaction and retention, but changes must begin from within the organization. It is also worthwhile to start efforts toward these goals during the recruitment process, before hiring is even on the table.

Kutcher Tax Careers has been in business since 1990 and has one of the largest databases of tax professionals in the Country. We are seeking to speak with firms that have an on-going flow of corporate tax jobs (some tax candidates for our jobs would be a plus, be not the main focus at this point.) If interested, call Howie Kutcher at (914) 592-6687 or e-mail him at Kutcher@taxcareers.com.

Survey: Workers seek jobs while employedStaffing Industry AnalystsMany professionals heed the advice that the best time to look for a job is when you already have one. Nearly three-quarters (73 percent) of workers indicated they would not have a problem looking for new employment before leaving their current firm, according to a survey yesterday by Accountemps, a division of Robert Half International Inc.

Sacred cows and silly practices die slowly in recruitingEREDr. John Sullivan writes, "Recruiting is full of practices that seem to last forever. Unfortunately, many practices endure for years despite the fact that they add no value to the hiring process. I call these well-established practices 'sacred cows' because many longtime recruiters and hiring managers vigorously defend them even though both company and academic data shows that they should be discarded."

5 ways to weather the counterofferThe Staffing StreamEmployees are wielding some negotiating power again as the economy strengthens and employers ramp up hiring. It's the return of the counteroffer — and it's driving some employers nuts.

Broker: Small business health exchange rates 'not great'Albany Business ReviewThe rates New York's small businesses will pay for health insurance next year are "not great," one broker says. Recently, the state Department of Financial Services released two sets of rates, one for products available the individual exchange, and one for standard products to be offered through the separate small business exchange. Much of the attention has focused on the individual market, where rates dropped 50 percent from a year ago.

Recruitment: beware the rejects' revengeHR MagazineHave you ever applied for a job and been rejected? If so, how did it make you feel? Many of us who have been through this experience will answer somewhere between mild disappointment and seething resentment. The truth is that it all depends on how the rejection was handled.